The Heart of the Ocean
by Aria Breuer
Summary: The Heart of the Ocean is lost! When Frodo enters a well, in the middle of Dragon Hallow's village square, he is pulled aboard the Titanic, during its maiden voyage. It's a race against time to restore the balance before the alternate timeline becomes permanent. Sequel to 'In the Land of Dragons'. Pre-War of the Ring.
1. Prologue: The Diamond Lost!

**Disclaimers:** I do not own _The Lord of the Rings_ and "Titanic". J.R.R. Tolkien, James Cameron, and history does. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

 **Warning!** Please read my fanfics in this order, before reading this one: _Multifaceted_ and _In the Land of Dragons_. Otherwise, readers will get lost. Those that have read them before, then feel free to read this story. Thank you. :)

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Welcome to the third story and second sequel to my Epic Struggles series. :)

This story will be a little different, as it may just be _The Lord of the Rings_ crossing with James Cameron's movie "Titanic". I'm not sure what canon characters will appear in other fandoms. We'll see how it goes. :)

Enjoy. :)

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 _Splash!_

 _Crash!_

Heaviness surrounded the blue diamond necklace, with its silver chain and frame, giving its hardened shell an unquenchable desire to be ashore. No! The light from the surface was leaving it, sinking further and further away.

No! The diamond, the Heart of the Ocean, wanted to see the surface! It just had to reach it. Oh, if only it could get back there! It was only a matter of time before someone picked it up again, felt its polished surface, and wore its around their neck.

In a way, the diamond smiled. Maybe it would find its maker or find someone who had a knack for keeping jewelry. Yes! Maybe it could try that, ensuring it would never touch water again. But if water was a temporary solution, then why not? It had to find someone worthy enough to take it, to keep it for all eternity!

While it had no arms or legs, the diamond spun around, facing a light that kept getting brighter with each second. There was a splash, followed by the diamond landing on shallow water.

No way was it inside a stone well! Last thing the diamond knew, it had dropped in the water, no thanks to that woman. No, it was not letting the same thing happen all over again. Not if it sank to the very bottom of the ocean, where the _Titanic_ was now buried.

But this wasn't the _Titanic_ , nor anywhere near Earth. Where had it landed? What sort of treachery was this? Fiends! It would seek to corrupt all in its name!

Wait. What was that? A slippery dragon with no wings, purple scales, as well as seemingly human hands and feet. This female humanoid dragon looked fondly at the diamond in interest. Had she come to collect it? Indeed, she did, but the Heart of the Ocean wouldn't choose her. She was neither its successor nor kind.

"Ouch!" The dragonoid felt a shock! Good! That meant the diamond couldn't be taken by her. She huffed in mid defeat. "So that's how you want to play! Well, I've got a better idea!" She snickered, pulling out a hardbound leather book from her satchel and flipping to the middle page. "Since you seem to think you own yourself, I'm giving you a curse! One that must be broken by someone worthy, by someone who had you last, and by someone who understands the true meaning of love."

She added, all smiles, "Only then will the curse be undone, my fond little diamond." She closed the book, patting the diamond once, before snapping her purple scaly fingers.

Wait! What was going on? This was not what the diamond wanted! No! _No, this couldn't be happening!_ And yet it did. The diamond couldn't believe this. It was cursed! Now, it really needed to find a successor, its previous owner, and lift the curse. But how? Well, it couldn't stay here. And yet, it watched helplessly as the dragonoid climbed up the well, leaving it alone and cold.

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Thanks for reading. :)


	2. 1: Herbs and Tea

Frodo Baggins looked at the red dragonoid Parker Dooley's abode. The place was a mess with the scrolls scattered about and unrolled. It was only cleaned up, thanks to Parker's quick actions. Still, Frodo would have preferred a much cleaner house, as he was already used to Bilbo leaving maps, books, and scrolls strewn about Bag End.

Frodo retained his perkiness. That managed to come back, after his hassle at the healer's house in Bywater. He had a fair face, almost elven, with bright blue eyes. His brown, curly hair was ruffled up due to the wind. As for his clothes, they were a white dress shirt, a brown waistcoat, a velvet jacket, red suspenders, and brown knee breeches that revealed his curly-haired hobbit feet.

Frodo shook his head, watching Parker clean up as much as he could. He sighed, glad someone paid attention to this mess.

"Parker, you're all right," Frodo said finally, getting the black clawed dragonoid's attention. "Bilbo was the same way."

"I won't have my guests sitting in… _this_ mess!" Parker admitted, managing to find the table and chairs. "Here. You and Allanon sit down. I'll pour you some tea."

"That really isn't necessary," Frodo said, sitting down. He nearly forgot the Druid, who wore purple robes and was donned in short black hair. This Druid wasn't here to relax. Although, Frodo was surprised to see a pink feminine dragonoid enter the estate. The hobbit was nearly entranced by her… no! He needed to snap out of it.

"Parker! Oh, hi Parker's friends," the pink dragonoid waved to Frodo and Allanon.

"Lily," Allanon said, his voice deep and resounding.

"How do you know her?" Frodo asked, confused.

"She's Parker's mate," Allanon announced, softly.

"We're not mates!" Parker shouted, bringing out the tea on a wooden tray. "Here you are." He set the tea tray down in front of Frodo and Allanon. "Sorry. It's a mixture of herbs grown around here. Not to worry. It should liven your senses."

Frodo hardly heard Parker close the front door when he tried the hot tea. It tasted like apple and raspberries. Right away, his senses became alert, allowing him to finally become awake. He enjoyed this concoction. He finished his tea fast before going after second, only to catch Lily giggling at him.

"What?" Frodo asked, confused.

"That particular brew has caffeine in it. I wouldn't drink too much if I were you." Lily admitted, facing Parker and saying, "You were going to tell them this tea has caffeine, weren't you?"

"Of course." Parker smiled, returning to Frodo and patting him on the back. He told Lily, serious, "But let's be clear: after what I went through, I'd rather have my guests awake than have them drugged." He sat down between Frodo and Allanon, while Lily sat across from him. "No. It's better this way." He asked Frodo, curtly, "How's the tea? Good?"

"The best," Frodo said, drinking a little more before setting the teacup down. "I think we have herbs similar to this in the Shire. Kingsfoil, they call it."

"Oh, we have that here!" Parker announced. "That's not what's in this drink! It's another herb, but I can't remember its name."

"Sage," Lily inquired.

"No!" Parker chuckled. He said, serious, "No. I remember it now. This tea has Elderberries. They grow near here and are very potent in flavor. Makes one's senses alert."

"We can discuss tea later," Allanon said, getting the trio's attention. "Another matter has come up and its coming soon. I've seen it, as I'm sure Frodo's seen this as well, in his visions."

Frodo gulped. Did they have to bring this up again? He looked at Parker and Lily, telling them cautiously, "There's supposed to be a silver hilt in this land. If we find it, then we can find the Jedi responsible for bringing it here."

"Jedi?" Lily asked, confused.

"They're supposed to own these hilts. They're valuable." Frodo said, sipping a little of his tea again.

"Parker," Lily perked up, clasping Parker's hand, "we could go and look for this weapon! Maybe it will be of great value to us. It could be worth something!"

"No Lily," Parker shook his head. "I don't do this for money." He paused. "If this weapon belongs to the Jedi, then they should keep it." He added, "No, I don't want to get mixed up with them."

"Why not?" Frodo asked, curious.

"Well—"

 _Boom!_

The house shook, as did the table, chairs, and even the tea kettle. Frodo did his best to hold his teacup and saucer, which was painted with intricate pink flowers on the front and sides. Oh, it was too much pink! He looked up at Parker and Lily, who both held the table. The hobbit's gaze met Allanon, who meditated.

At last, the sonic boom stopped and all was still. At least until various dragonoids, people, and other creatures shouted, running towards something outside. Frodo set his tea down, before standing up and approaching the door. He was blocked by Parker, who held the front door's latch before the hobbit had the chance to flee.

"You're not going out there." Before Frodo protested, Parker added, "Not without me." He added, curious, "When we first met, I made a promise to protect you. I'm still willing to do that."

"Go with him," Allanon said, also standing up. "I'm going with Lily. We're going to find that hilt."

"We are?" Lily asked, confused.

Frodo moved away from the door, watching Allanon approach it with kind eyes. The hobbit didn't understand. First, the Druid took him out of his home, and now he was supposed to find out where that boom came from? Oh, wait. He was already planning on doing that.

"I thought we were doing this together," Frodo asked Allanon, confused.

"Stay with Parker," Allanon said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You two will need each other for what's coming." He looked up at Parker, watching the dragonoid open the door for him and Lily. "Thank you." He walked out of the house without saying another word.

"But what?" Frodo asked, his words fading as he watched Allanon disappear down the street.

"Wait for me!" Lily called, telling Parker fast. "Take care of him."

"I will. Don't worry about me." Parker said, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek. Shortly after Lily left the house, Parker caught Frodo's smug look. "What?"

Frodo rolled his eyes, his smug expression turning to silliness. "So, you and Lily?"

"It's not what it looks like," Parker said, embarrassed.

"Oh, I think it is," Frodo said, heading outdoors. "Now, where did that boom come from?"

"I don't know," Parker said, locking the front door and joining Frodo. A moment later, he pointed out a strange well, that stood next to the spring. "It could have come from there!"

Frodo looked, seeing the crowd back away. Whatever it was, it must lead to somewhere. Somewhere good. Still, any adventure with friends was worth it. "Come on, Parker!" He said, heading straight for the crowd.

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Thanks for reading. :)

 **References:**

The Jedi are from the "Star Wars" series. Allanon is from Terry Brooks' book series, _The Shannara Series_.


	3. 2: The Well

Frodo pushed through the crowd. He apologized to members of the crowd, until he reached the front row, where he spotted a grey stone well with its wooden roof torn to bits. Climbing out of the well was a purple dragonoid, carrying a hardbound leather book. The second she planted her feet on the grassy ground, she smirked at him, before waving her hand before her.

In seconds, this female dragonoid was gone, leaving the well behind.

Frodo ran towards the well and moved some of the planks out of the way. He looked up at Parker, who joined him and helped him with the planks. By the time the planks were moved, the well's grey stone bottom was revealed.

"It doesn't look very far down," The hobbit said.

"It's dangerous to go in there alone," Parker replied. He looked at Frodo with remorse. "I'll go in there with you." He looked at the crowd in wonder. "Frodo's going in! I'm coming, too! If anyone wants to come along, then by all means do so." The crowd hesitated. Frodo wondered if anyone would come. He felt sure there would be someone willing to join them. Sadly, there weren't any volunteers. "Alright," Parker faced him, "climb on my back. I'm getting us down there."

"What? No!" Frodo cried out. "I might hurt you."

"I'm stronger than I look. I am a dragon." Parker said with a smile. He reached the well's wall, took a breath, and looked at Frodo with determination, "Come on!"

Frodo did, leaping onto his back and wrapping his arms around Parker's scaly neck. He jumped when the red dragonoid leapt onto the wall and, finally, let himself fall down the hole. Frodo closed his eyes, surprised that he didn't fall off the dragonoid. He shook nervously, wondering when the falling would stop.

"It's alright. It's over." Parker said, getting the hobbit's attention.

Frodo opened his eyes, astonished they had reached the bottom of the well. He waited until Parker moved down on all fours, before dismounting him.

The well was much wider and shallower than he first thought. There was hardly any water in this well, but there was something interesting at the centermost part of it. It looked like a sapphire diamond necklace. The sunlight gave the necklace's color away. Strange. The necklace was calling to him, beckoning for him to take it for his own. He wanted to. He wanted to touch its polished surface. Before he knew it, his hand reached for the necklace, just as Parker grabbed his right arm.

"Frodo, we shouldn't touch that!" The dragonoid insisted, cautious. "I've read stories about objects coming into this world. There's always a dragonoid willing to curse them, just like the purple dragonoid did to this necklace. You saw the way she was smirking at us." He shook his head. "No. This necklace is cursed, and if we touch it, if we dare to let ourselves go anywhere near it, the odds of us landing in the necklace's original timeline is possible."

He shook his head. "No. We must head back! We must return to the surface, before we're cursed, too." He added, last, "I would hate to be the one to carry this burden, and you," he faced Frodo, telling him point blank, "you ought to be more wary. You and cursed jewelry seem to go hand in hand."

"Are you done?" Frodo asked, curious.

"Now I am," Parker said, sighing in relief.

"Look, jewelry doesn't attach itself to me," Frodo said in disbelief.

"They say the first sign is denial," Parker said immediately.

"Oh, come on, Parker! What's the worst thing that could happen?" Frodo asked, annoyed. He rolled his eyes, diving straight for the diamond.

"Wait. _Frodo, NO!_ " Parker cried in terror.

The first sensation Frodo felt, after picking up the diamond and Parker grabbing his arm again, was a bright blue light engulfing him. The light stayed with them for a moment longer, but it felt like hours. Already, he could feel the dragonoid's scaly hand turn to a human hand. No! The hand was becoming normal-sized! How was that possible?

In seconds, the light left them both, forcing Frodo to collapsed on a wood-planked deck with Parker still holding his arm. He looked around in terror, realizing they had landed on a grand ship with a large crowd of people cheering and waving to their families. The hobbit turned to his dragonoid friend – wait. Parker didn't look like a dragonoid. He looked a bit like him, fair face and with short pointy ears. The only difference was that Parker's hair was jet black and he was donned in a rosy red jacket, a deep red waistcoat, a white, flowing dress shirt, and deep maroon knee breeches.

"You're me? I'm you!" Frodo and Parker said in unison, pointing to each other and to themselves.

"Where are we?" Parker asked. He patted himself down, realizing something was terribly wrong. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I'm—" Frodo's voice faded, glimpsing at the one object still resting in his hand: the sapphire diamond necklace.

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Thanks for reading. :)


	4. 3: First Class

Sorry for the delay. I was updating my fanfics. :)

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Frodo could hardly believe it. The necklace had traveled with him and Parker! Okay. So, where were they? And why did Parker look like a hobbit? More importantly, why did Parker look similar to him, almost as if they were twins? Clearly, he was missing something.

"Parker, how old are you?" Frodo asked.

"What?" Parker looked up, alarmed and confused.

"I said, 'how old are you'?" He asked, curious.

"I'm older than you. Much older. Like, centuries upon centuries older than you are now." Parker admitted, calmly. "Why do you ask?"

"You couldn't be any older than Tom Bombadil, right?" Frodo asked, more confused.

"Tom Bombadil was before my time. I was around after the Big Bang." Parker said. "But that's a long story." He added, pointing to the necklace, "What is _that_ doing here?!"

"Um… it's nothing." Frodo stowed the necklace away, but not before pulling out two parchment tickets from his jacket pocket. How did they get in there?

"Let me see that!" Parker said, rushing towards him and collecting his ticket. "This says, we're aboard the R.M.S. Titanic! This must be a mistake!"

"It's no mistake." An officer with short brown hair said, greeting the two hobbits. "Welcome to the R.M.S. Titanic. Let me see those tickets!" Frodo and Parker stood up, passing the tickets over to him. He checked the tickets over, nodding in approval. "Yes, you'll be bunking in the First-Class Cabin with the Italian Renaissance style."

"Italian what?" Frodo and Parker asked in unison. "Renaissance?" Frodo looked at Parker as though they had gone mad. Quite frankly, he was beginning to wonder if Parker was a distant relative of his. It couldn't be true, could it?!

"Yes, that's right!" The officer said, gesturing to them. "This way!"

Frodo hesitated. He wasn't sure if this was too easy. How did the officer know he and Parker were here, let alone figuring out they had tickets? Wait a second. The necklace! Yes, that was the only explanation for this sudden turn of events.

"Come on, Frodo," Parker said, following the guard across the deck.

Frodo looked at Parker for a moment longer. Yes, the resemblance was uncanny. If anything, the idea that they were twins was inevitable. He wondered how he was going to tell this dragonoid-turned-hobbit about his hypothesis. If they weren't, then how could they explain their appearance and facial features? He sighed, deciding, in the end, to follow Parker up the stairs and down the Promenade deck, where their cabin awaited.

.

The cabin's interior design made Frodo's heart soar. All around were semicircular arches along the walls, creating a unique look that reminded him a little of Bag End, but different. There was only one large bedroom with two four-poster beds. Frodo also found a lavatory with everything he needed, including a basin to wash his face and hands. The furniture in the sitting room was also luxurious, giving that air of regal mystery to the cabin that he loved. At one end of the sitting room was a faux fireplace, which included a clock and a mirror.

In all, it gave Frodo the impression of wanting to stay on the cruise ship longer than was expected of him. In all, he couldn't resist looking around for a moment longer… at least, until Parker summoned him back into the bedroom, where the officer awaited to tell them more good news about their stay.

"All your luggage is here," the officer said. "The Promenade deck is free for you to use. If there's anything else you need, speak with the stewards."

"Thank you," Frodo and Parker said, startling Frodo once again. As soon as the officer closed the door, walking down the hallway in due time, Parker's smile melted away.

"Just so you're aware, this isn't a holiday!" Parker said, furious. "We're supposed to figure out how to stop this curse! If we're lucky, we'll return to civilization."

"You just want to return to Lily," Frodo shook his head.

Parker slammed his fist on the dresser. "You know that is not why I came along. Now, we're stuck here! This is unbelievable!"

"You wouldn't be related to me, would you, Parker?" Frodo asked, calmly.

"No," Parker said, confused. "The first time we met was at the healer's house."

"Yes, but say we are related. What then? What would you do?" Frodo asked, serious.

"Frodo, there's a difference between a doppelganger, a lookalike, and someone who is many times distantly related to you." Parker explained, "Doppelgangers are only out to kill you. Lookalikes have this slight chance of meeting each other. Many times, distantly related family members don't meet in person unless you want to tip the balance of nature."

"I don't understand," Frodo said, confused. "I thought dragons didn't last too long." He recovered quickly, "You clearly come from the First Age, from the way you talk."

"I was around before the First Age began. It was after the Year of the Trees had already started," Parker said, softly. "If that tells you how old I am, then we're good. Just know that I already outrank you with knowledge. I've seen so much, hurt a lot of people, animals, and creatures when I was Maranguan, my girlfriend Elizabeth Bowler died – even though she might claim we were friends, I've had descendants die, my friends died, and time pressed on without me guiding everyone forward."

"I've had to retaught animals and people, newcomers, just what it means to be a hero. Now, there isn't anything I can do. So, I gave up and moved on. And now, look at me." He looked at Frodo in disdain. "My brother escaped to who knows where. I didn't save my village as well as anyone would've thought. It saved itself. So much for victory."

There was a heavy pause. Frodo gulped, unsure what else to say. Given the somber look on Parker's face, he knew the dragonoid-turned-hobbit was going through immense pain. In a way, Frodo pitied him. At the same time, he was cautious not to ask any more questions or risk, Parker, going into a long-winded speech over more things he'd done.

Maybe coming to the _Titanic_ was a bad idea. Maybe it was better that he found out if this ship had adventures waiting for him around the corner. Maybe that would lighten Parker's spirits!

"Bah!" Parker said, returning to the present. "Don't listen to me. I'm an old dragonoid telling war stories!" He shooed the brown-haired gentle-hobbit away with his hand. "You go and explore the ship. I'll stay here and reflect. It's what I'm best at."

"Right. I'll see you later." Frodo said, glad to get out of there. The moment he stepped out into the hallway, however, he nearly bumped into a flaming, curly-haired young lass wearing a buttoned, striped white jacket and a purple brimmed hat.

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Thanks for reading. :)


	5. 4: Rose

Sorry for the delay. I was updating my fanfics. :) Thanks goes to Adeleidhis for helping me map out this chapter through roleplay. It is much appreciated. :)

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"Oh! Excuse me, miss," Frodo said, hoping that he didn't hit her. Fortunately, she didn't look injured. Just shaken. "I didn't mean to do that."

"Tis no trouble," the flaming haired lass said, calming down a bit. "I should have looked at my surroundings."

" _Who's at the door?!_ " Parker shouted, annoyed.

"A pretty lass come to visit us," Frodo said with a smirk. He opened the door for her, "Please, come in. Maybe we can make up for nearly bumping into you."

"Who's there?" Parker trudged towards the door, doing a double-take when he saw the flaming, curly-haired lass. "You're Rose Dewitt Bukater."

"Do you know her?" Frodo asked, curious.

"Um… well, everyone's bound to know who you are, miss," Parker said to Rose, kissing her hand. For a moment, Frodo saw Parker's eyes turn yellow and lizard-like. He returned his gaze to Rose, who blushed uncontrollably.

"Yes, I am." Rose looked at Frodo now, intrigued. "You must be Frodo Baggins. I've heard so much about you."

"How could you? We only just met," The gentle-hobbit asked, realizing that it must have been Parker's dragonoid senses or the diamond necklace. Either way, he would ask Parker about it later. He whispered to the dragonoid-hobbit, as soon as Parker regained his senses and his blue eyes, "Parker, what did you do?"

"I don't know," Parker admitted, softly, confused himself. "Let me try that again." He stared Rose down. The yellow eyes returned as did his dragonoid form. The moment passed, allowing him to return to hobbit form. The sensation, on the other hand, left him stunned. He looked up again, surprised to see Rose snap out of her trance, only to act differently about the situation.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure what happened." Rose admitted, feeling her head. She turned to Parker, speaking furiously at him, "What did you do to me, you monster?!"

"Whoa! He's a good dragonoid – hobbit? Dragonoid?" Frodo received a knowing look from Parker. He looked at Rose, calmly, "He's a hobbit dragonoid. A hobbit with dragonoid abilities. Do you believe me?"

"Of course, I do. Sort of," Rose couldn't explain it. The whole sensation unnerved her, and she wasn't one who normally believed in fairy tales. Or if she did, then that was a long time ago, when her mother took away her book on fairy tales, telling her, bluntly, that dragons did not exist.

She spent years letting go of that part of her childhood, scared to even go back there… except her mother wasn't here! And these two were unlike anyone she met before. She'd seen enough of the upper class's world to know how boring it was. Maybe these two would give her the opportunity to see things no one else saw, that is if she truly believed in it.

"I'm sorry, are you really a dragonoid?" Rose asked, interested now in Parker's affairs. "Because if you are," she walked into Frodo and Parker's suite, closing the door behind her, "I would love to hear more about where you came from. Everything there is to know about dragons is alright with me!"

Frodo hadn't expected this. What did Parker do to her? He didn't do anything, but Parker certainly did! "What did you do to her?!" He repeated, staring Parker down.

"Calm down! I snapped her out of her trance but left some part of it behind. The memory of her time remembering you and, most likely, me." Parker recovered with a smirk. "Okay, I may have added a few things about my history with the dragons and dragonoids. Big deal!"

"You what?" Frodo whispered, stunned. "Parker, I thought you said you didn't want to be here!"

"Can you blame me?" Parker smirked. "My girlfriend is dead, my old friends are dead. I just want to mess with peoples' heads."

"You're not helping," Frodo said, grinning sheepishly at Rose.

"Can you really mess with peoples' minds?" Rose asked the dragonoid-human, intrigued. "Because I need a favor. Two favors."

"Go on," Parker insisted.

"I can't believe this!" Frodo said, stunned.

"My mother and Cal are on my case. Cal is the worst!" Rose pointed out in a low whisper. "So, is his bodyguard Lovejoy. I need you to mess with their head and get them to remember that I'm not here. If you do that, I'll stay with you two for the rest of the voyage and beyond."

"Absolutely not," Frodo said, concerned.

"Deal!" Parker said, shaking Rose's hand.

"Parker, this could really mess with time," The gentle-hobbit told the dragonoid-human, concerned.

"Oh, come on. What damage could it do?" Parker asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oh." Rose asked Frodo, jokingly, "Are you scared?"

"I'm not. It's just you're from here and we're not from this time. If we start messing with time, it'll ruin everything!" Frodo pulled out the necklace from his pocket. Strange. It was glowing brighter as it got closer to Rose. "No. How can this be?" He looked up at her in shock. "You're this diamond's owner?"

"I haven't seen a necklace like that before. It must have cost you a fortune!" Rose said, shocked. "It's the Heart of the Ocean! A most prized possession. How did you obtain it?"

"It's a long story." Parker interrupted Frodo. He turned to the front door, leading Rose out into the hallway. "Shall we?"

"You go. I'll stay." Frodo said, taking a seat on the couch.

"Suit yourself," Rose said, leading Parker out the door.

.

Frodo reclined on the couch, lost in his thoughts. He could hear from the doorway Parker saying strange words, as if his power was strongest aboard this ship. The gentle-hobbit jumped at the sight of a bright gold light rippling throughout the ship, before it vanished a second later.

"What was that?" Frodo asked, concerned.

"She needs a companion," a blonde-haired man said, startling the hobbit. The young man sat on the couch next to Frodo, a mere ghost aboard this ship. "You have to fix Parker Dooley's mistake, get Rose to meet someone new, someone worthy of her, or this ship will be doomed much faster than you think… and not just by the iceberg."

"Who are you?" Frodo asked, nervous.

"I'm Jack Dawson." The man faced him, calmly. "You've taken my place. Be good to Rose until the time comes when she meets her true love. I'll be taken out of this story, saved for another time and place. You must find your own feet. Save Rose before Parker unleashes the great monster that dwells aboard this ship. Good luck, Frodo Baggins. You'll need it." Jack lowered his head, vanishing on the spot.

"Okay, I need to find Parker and Rose." Frodo huffed and puffed, looking around the room in confusion. "Where are they? Rose! Parker!" He stood up, following the trail out of the suite. He would find Parker and fix this mess soon, before something happened to them… again.


	6. 5: A Different Kind of Vision

Sorry for the delay. I was updating my fanfics. :)

*.*.*

The second he was out in the corridor, Frodo spotted Parker with Rose with another man, donned in short brown hair and wearing a tuxedo. Wait. What was Parker doing? The hobbit was clearly doing something to that poor man. In seconds, another ripple coursed through the ship, ejecting from the hobbit-dragonoid and the man he was putting into a trance.

"Wait. STOP!" Frodo crashed into Parker, forcing them into a heap.

"What's going on?" The man asked, his eyes glazed over. "I need a minute." Frodo looked up, watching the man dart into another cabin. By the time Frodo recovered, Parker already threw him off and jetted a rippling light at a ginger-haired middle-aged woman who just left a cabin.

It wasn't over. As soon as the ginger-haired woman was caught in the same trance, before it ended and left her senseless, like everyone else on the ship became, Parker waved an index finger at Frodo, his eyes serious. "Don't start with me!"

"Why are you putting people in trances?" Frodo asked, concerned. "This isn't like you. The Parker I know wouldn't do that."

"Maybe you forgot, but I did put you into that stupor," Parker admitted, calming down a bit. He stood up, helping Frodo to his feet. "I'm sorry. I'm too dangerous to be here." He looked at Frodo to Rose, telling them, "You two deserve each other. I'm going to the boat deck now. I'll see you later." He ran down the corridor without saying another word.

"I'm sorry." Rose said to Frodo, also calmer, "I put him up to it and he couldn't help himself."

"It looks like he did his work," Frodo said, gesturing to the people walking out of their cabins. "I bet by morning, they won't remember you, but we will."

"Look, if your friend knows something else that's about to happen, then why would he do this for me?" Rose asked, curious.

"Parker is a dragonoid. This diamond," he looked at the heart-shaped necklace again, "brought us here and turned Parker into a hobbit. I'm not sure what it means, but it clearly belongs to you." He passed the necklace onto Rose. The glowing stopped, as did the trance throughout the ship. For a moment, Frodo witnessed another vision showing the Titanic's fate. The iceberg, only with one change. The two people he saw in the vision, Jack and Rose, were disappearing from the ship like they weren't meant to be there in the first place. The vision stopped, letting him see the present and the diamond necklace again. "I don't understand. Time moves forward, but we're the only ones that still exists."

"I'm sorry," Rose asked, confused.

"I don't think you're supposed to be here anymore. The vision showed me this," Frodo said, misunderstanding. He looked at her hands, seeing they were still visible, but everything else was shifting. A thought crossed his mind. "Rose, would you like to come with me and Parker? You'll be pulled out of this world, of course."

"I don't know if I can. I have a life here, a family. I love them." Rose said, curtly. The half-smile was enough to convince Frodo that she wasn't happy.

"You don't love it here, do you?" He asked, realizing.

"It's complicated," Rose said, cringing at the thought. "So, a dragonoid's here and you're a hobbit. It must be nice not being from this world. I wouldn't know what this means. But…" she looked around, realizing no one but Frodo was talking to her, "…I see you know the future and now my future is changing. I can feel it changing. So, what do you know of the world?"

"I know that it's better to be in good hands, then not live at all. An adventure or two wouldn't hurt." Frodo said with a smirk.

"I've always wanted to go on an adventure," Rose said, grinning. "What's it like?"

Frodo grinned happily. This is exactly what he'd been waiting for. "Do you want to take a walk? I'll explain it better that way."

"Sure," Rose said, leading him towards the boat deck.

.

Within the time he walked with Rose, he learned a lot about her. The way she grew up rich and learned how to behave, as well as other stuffy routines. It was interesting, but also a bit sad. Frodo was rich, too, but he considered life much easier, more so than he thought.

When they reached the railing, Frodo relaxed, staring out at the vast ocean and thinking about home. The sea was here, calling out to him to follow, but that was all he could see. He only just met Rose and found her reasonable, maybe someone he could fall in love with. But he was getting ahead of himself. Right now, he needed to figure out how to get himself and Rose off this ship and back to civilization.

"Come with me!" Frodo asked, determination in his eyes. "You want adventure. I can give that to you."

"In what way?" She asked, smiling playfully.

"Um… it's not like that," Frodo said, recovering, "not that I wouldn't mind having a relationship with you. It's just that if we move too fast, our relationship's will slump." He felt bad for Jack Dawson. This wasn't right. He was taking a risk! Maybe Rose would understand one day.

"It's all right," Rose said, looking away. "We only just met." She paused. "You know, women marry at seventeen and I'm seventeen, the right age to wed."

"So, that man was your husband?" Frodo asked, alarmed.

"No!" Rose said, disgusted. "He's my fiancée."

"Ex-fiancée," Frodo said, calmly.

"Yes, there's that," Rose said, curtly.

"These crab cakes are delicious," Parker said, approaching the two while carrying a napkin with a half-eaten crab cake. He asked Frodo, showing him another napkin with three crab cakes on top, "Want one?"

"No!" Frodo said, annoyed. Not that he wanted to eat crab cakes, but right now this was serious! And yet, he couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"What?" Parker and Rose asked at the same time.

"You chose this moment to introduce crab cakes?" Frodo said to Parker, giggling.

"Well, I want to go with you," Rose said, bluntly.

"What?" Parker and Frodo asked, concerned.


	7. 6: The Way Back

"You heard me," Rose said, smiling. "I know we've only just met, but you two are perhaps the most interesting men I've ever met."

Frodo grinned. He looked at Parker, who was ready for a good laugh. At the last second, the hobbit-dragonoid broke out into laughter, unable to control himself. Frodo wondered what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" He asked, confused.

"You two make the perfect couple!" Parker couldn't stop himself, nor did he want to. "It's just… you both immediately take action and don't think of the consequences." He pulled Frodo off to the side, but close enough for Rose to hear. "We can't take her with us. She's from this world."

"Is she?" Frodo asked, curious.

Parker's smile faded. He hadn't expected this response. No! It was happening again. First with Frodo being pulled out of his timeline and now Rose. Where was Jack Dawson? Parker looked around, finding Jack walk across the deck, disappearing into a bright light. He took a good look at Rose. She was still visible. How odd!

"Parker?" Frodo asked, concerned. "What is it?"

Parker shook his head. "Nothing. It's just… it's the same thing that happened to you!"

"What?" Frodo and Rose asked, stunned.

"Look, when Allanon came to you, Frodo, he pulled you out of your timeline. He's doing the same with Rose and Jack," Parker said, concerned.

"Whose Jack?" Rose asked, intrigued. "And why have I heard that name before?"

"Jack is a… a long story. To put it bluntly, your timeline has been messed up and not by me or Frodo's doing." Parker admitted, noticing his dragonoid form shifting back and forth between his hobbit form. He shook his head, facing Frodo once again, "Frodo, we don't have much time. We need to go back," he looked at Rose, intrigued, "and I guess we're taking her with us. I didn't want to do this, but since we weren't the ones who cursed that necklace, it's only fitting that we take it with us, too. Rose can keep it as a gift from you, Frodo."

"This necklace is cursed?" Rose asked, alarmed. "You two were brought here by a curse?"

"What do you know about it?" Frodo asked, curious.

"I've read about curses in fairy tales." Rose admitted, fondly. "I love fairy tales. I miss them." She added, daydreaming, "All my life I wanted an adventure and now I'm finally getting it. Take me with you. So, I can have them."

"I think there's a reason you came to us at that hour," Parker admitted, curtly.

"So, she's coming along?" Frodo asked, smiling.

"Well, look!" Parker showed him his morphing hand. "I don't have that much time before I turn dragonoid. If we're going to take her back, back to my home world, then we either need a plan or we need to use that necklace again."

"Look, it's glowing." Rose said, showing Frodo the necklace. "Here, touch it!"

Frodo had a thought, an inkling. What if he held her hand, while she still carried the necklace? It was mad, but it was worth it! In haste, he held onto her hand. The necklace glowed brightly. He looked at Parker, hearing his triumphant laugh, before he slapped his hand against theirs and didn't let go.

The bright blue light surrounded them. Frodo felt the ground leave him, shifting as he, Rose, and Parker were brought into the empty foggy air. The colors changed and the stone well returned. By the time the light disappeared, Frodo collapsed, as did Rose and Parker. They released hands, right as Rose's purple-brimmed hat blew off her head, into the shadows.

Frodo chuckled in relief, glad to be back. He looked up, seeing a harness moved down towards him, Rose, and Parker. Frodo watched Parker, now a full-fledged red dragonoid, strap Rose to the harness, allowing her to be lifted up first. The hobbit took a look at the floor. The same necklace Rose had held onto, the Heart of the Ocean, vanished in a bright gold light, as if it was never there to begin with. He sighed, wondering if he would ever see the necklace again.


	8. 7: Home Again

Frodo looked out the window of Parker's thatched house. It had been a few hours since the dragonoid and Rose went exploring Parker's village and getting Rose adjusted to life here. It still was odd, since the hobbit could now feel a tug in the air, after what he and Parker just did. And yet, he remembered coming out of the well, wondering how long they had been gone.

" _Oh, five minutes!" a pink female dragonoid said, chipper._

"Five minutes?" Frodo asked this question repeatedly as he stared at the landscape beyond the window. Had it really been five minutes? He assumed it was longer, given they had been on the ship for… what? An hour or two? It certainly seemed like that, and yet, Rose was already adjusting to life here in this village.

He sighed, wondering how his cousins, Merry and Pippin, were doing, whether they knew he was missing or whether something happened to them in the Shire. Either way, he couldn't wait to go home, if home was still there.

He turned and looked, the moment the door burst open and Parker let Rose inside his house. Naturally, Rose's luggage came with her, along with her paintings, now strewn about the house. Was there anything this house could not store?

"Well, I had a wonderful time today!" Rose said to Parker, pleased. "You truly are a wonderous dragonoid."

"I have more stories to tell you," Parker said, smiling. He looked at Frodo, informing him, "I like her!"

"Well, you did put her into a trance." Frodo said, solemnly. "Parker, is there anything else you wish to tell us? Or more danger you would like to put us through?"

"Cheer up, Frodo!" Rose said, annoyed. "It's not like I asked you to explore Parker's village."

"I didn't know I was a part of this group," Frodo said, returning his gaze to the window. He looked back at Rose, the moment she stood next to him.

"Frodo, you are a good friend." Rose said, kindly. "I trust you and Parker with this. This isn't my home, but home is far away from me." She stood up, announcing bluntly, "I'm going to learn how to swordfight, and then I'm going to put on some new clothes that are more flexible than these. Excuse me, gentlemen!" She waved to the two men, departing down the hallway.

Parker chuckled in delight. "I like her so much."

"I know you do," Frodo said with a warm sigh. "I shouldn't have said that. I should be bolder with my statements, but also kind."

"Frodo, you're everything she could ever want. Isn't that enough?" Parker asked, curious.

"Parker, what do you think is happening back there? At home? At my home?" Frodo asked, curious. "Do you think home is safe?"

"If anything, it's probably just waiting for you to return," Parker said, gently patting his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's fine."

"I just hope my friends are all right." Frodo said, staring off into space. He could imagine Merry and Pippin searching Bag End for him, looking for clues he might have left behind, including the letter addressed to them.

 _Dear Merry and Pippin,_

 _Don't worry about me! I'm with the Druid called Allanon and we're heading into the Land of Dragons for a secret mission! I'm sorry to abandon you like this, but it's important that I find Parker Dooley and return a favor. He showed me things I wouldn't have dreamed of, things I never imagined._

 _My visions grow stronger with each passing moment and it's all thanks to him! I don't know where I'd be without this dragonoid helping me to control these visions. So, I thank him for this! We'll see each other again, Merry, Pippin. No matter where we go or what we'll do, we'll always have each other, through and through._

 _Your friend,_

 _Frodo Baggins_

"Frodo," Parker pulled him back to reality, "they'll be alright."

Frodo sighed, knowing the dragonoid was right. He nodded, realizing there was no turning back. There was only this moment and that's what counted.


	9. Epilogue: Discovery

This is the last chapter for this story.

*.*.*

Lily rode with Allanon a mere distance away from the village. She stopped her horse and dismounted, surprised to see something lying on the ground. A strange silver hilt with no blade. How odd! What kind of weapon was just lying on the grass? What was it doing in this world?

"Allanon!" Lily called out, hoping the Druid would hear her. "I think I found something!"

She dismounted and approached the object. Just as she neared it, the hilt started to shake, quaking more and more with each step she took. This weapon could be dangerous. She best not touch it until Allanon showed up.

But where was the Druid? Did he know what she uncovered? And what was with the strange symbol on the ground? It looked like two wings and a tower with a bright light glowing off from it. Weird! What kind of a weapon left a symbol in the dirt? It didn't make sense, but then she realized, like Frodo Baggins and Wil Ohmsford, that this weapon was not from this world.

"Allanon!" Lily called again. She sighed in relief when he did come back, if only for a short time. "I found something! It appears to be a weapon!"

"It's best that you check it and make sure it works. I'm going to look ahead for anything suspicious," Allanon said, as Lily picked up the hilt.

"What does it do?" The pink dragonoid asked, confused.

"Turn it on and you will see," Allanon said, nodding to her.

Lily stared at the weapon for a moment longer. Everything looked so well-constructed. The hilt didn't break, which surprised her. What sort of mischief was this? Was it magic or something else? She found the button and pressed it. A blue beam jetted out from one end, startling her. Its hum resonated off the blade.

She liked this!

"The Jedi have arrived," Allanon spoke in candor. She only hoped he was right.

*.*.*

 **References:**

The lightsaber and the Old Republic symbol is from the Star Wars universe. Wil Ohmsford is from Terry Brooks' book series, _The Shannara Series_.

~o~

We're done with Story 3 in the first phase of my Epic Struggles series. :)

Thanks goes to the following people for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this story: Gracie Miserables. Thanks also to everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to read this fanfic. Is it much appreciated. :)

This Epilogue is a teaser of what's coming up next in the series. :) Given the references, we're going to the "Star Wars" fandom, which will have its own storyline, situated around this story's timeline.

Thanks for reading. :) I'll see everyone in the next story. Bye! :)

 _Aria Breuer_


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